Circular knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE, PRIMARILY FOR KNITTING SLEEVE-FORMING FABRIC CONTIGUOUS TO TUBULAR BODY-FORMING FABRIC, HAVING AT LEAST TWO CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SPACED YARN FEEDING AND KNITTING STATIONS AND MEANS FOR KNITTING SIMULTANEOUSLY, IN RECIPROCATION, DIAMETRICALLY-OPPOSED SUTURED POUCHES FORMING A PORTION OF THE SLEEVE-FORMING FABRIC. SELECTION BUTTS AND CAMS DIVIDE THE NEEDLES INTO TWO DIAMETRICALLY-OPPOSED GROUPS, WHEREBY, DURING RECIPROCATORY KNITTING, ONE GROUP KNITS ONE POUCH AT ONE STATION WHILE THE OTHER GROUP KNITS THE OTHER POUCH AT ANOTHER STATION.

"FQE. DEANS ETAL" 3,560,999

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. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed A ri; s, 1966 e Shets-Sheet s Filed April 5. 1966 F. E. DEANS ETA!- GiRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Flsbf '6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent Oihce 3,560,999 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 3,560,999 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Frederick Edward Deans, Leicester, and Richard James Carter, Wigston, England, assignors to The Bentley Engineering Company Limited Filed Apr. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 540,260 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 10, 1965, 15,325/ 65 Int. Cl. D04b 9/10, 9/20 US. Cl. 66-14 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE -A circular knitting machine, primarily for knitting sleeve-forming fabric contiguous to tubular body-forming fabric, having at least two circumferentially-spaced yarn feeding and knitting stations and means for knitting simultaneously, in reciprocation, diametrically-opposed sutured pouches forming a portion of the sleeve-forming fabric. Selection butts and earns divide the needles into two diametrically-opposed groups whereby, during reciprocatory knitting, one group knits one pouch at one station while the other group knits the other pouch at another station.

RELATED APPLICATIONS British application No. 15,325/ 65, dated Apr. 10, 1965, The Bentley Engineering Company Limited.

This invention provides improvements in circular knitting machines. It is primarily, but not exclusively, concerned with circular knitting machines of the opposed needle cylinder type equipped with double-ended needles capable of transfer between the two cylinders, by sliders located in said cylinders, so as to draw rib loops while operating in one cylinder and plain loops while operating in the other. An object of a specific construction within the scope of this invention is a machine capable of producing a knitted blank for a body garment having sleeves by knitting sleeve-forming fabric and tubular body-forming fabric, the one in direct continuation of and integral with the other, and by knitting two opposed sutured pouches at the junction of said sleeve-forming and bodyforming fabric. In making a garment from this blank, the sleeve-forming fabric is severed along Wale-wise lines registering with the apices of the pouches into two sleeve parts which are united to the tubular body fabric at armpit sutures which extend diagonally of the Wales and courses of both the sleeve fabric and the body fabric. Because of this last-mentioned feature the sleeve parts then protrude from the body of the blank in the manner required in sleeves; their cut edges are seamed together, the seams extending along the top of the sleeves.

The present invention provides an independent-needle circular knitting machine having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced feeding and knitting stations, a circular series of needles comprising two circumferential groups disposed over difierent but substantially consecutive arcs of the needle circle, needle-manipulating means for acting on the needles to cause both groups to pass through and knit at each of two successive stations at successive knitting cycles of the machine in the production of a unitary length of fabric consisting of courses knitted at both said two stations on both groups, and pouch-producing mechanism, operable during other knitting cycles of the machine, for causing the two groups simultaneously to knit two sutured pouches onto said length of fabric, one group knit-ting a pouch at one station and the other group simultaneously knitting another pouch at the other station. By pouch-producing mechanism there is meant mechanism for acting on needles of a said group to divert the needles into, and subsequently to return them from, loop-holding inactivity, which diversion or return (and preferably each of them) is effected progressively from Wale to Wale. The said mechanism preferably comprises pickers, but other needle-selecting mechanism of well-understood construction may be employed.

Preferably the machine is organised to knit by rotation and by reciprocation, the two groups are diiferentiated by having control elements (primarily, butts) at contrasting locations, and the needle-manipulating means (primarily, cams) comprises means for acting on said control elements to cause both groups to knit at both stations during rotation and for causing, during reciprocation, one group to knit at one station and the other group to knit at the other station.

The control elements may be provided on the needles themselves and/or on members (such as jacks, sliders or bits) associated with the needles. In a machine of the opposed needle cylinder type they are provided on the sliders. The needle-manipulating means may be such as to cause the needles to knit during rotation at both stations or, when desired, at one station only.

According to an important feature of the invention, the needles of the two groups are differentiated by selection butts at two levels, one group having selection butts at one level and the other group having selection butts at a different level, the needles of both groups are further provided with operating butts at a further level, and the needle-manipulating means comprises knitting cams at one station for operating on the operating butts of one group during rotation and reciprocation and knitting cams at the other station for operating on the operating butts of the other group during rotation and reciprocation, and further comprises control cams for operating on the selection butts of needles of both groups during rotation and for thereby causing the operating butts of these needles to be operated on by the knitting cams at both stations in rotation knitting, and for causing one group to knit at one of the two stations and the other group to knit at the other said station during reciprocating knitting. The control cams may include cams movable between operative positions for circular knitting and inoperative positions for reciprocating knitting, there being a movable cam for one of said two stations for acting, when operative, on the selection butts of needles of one group to cause said needles to knit at that station and a movable cam for the other station for acting, when operative, on the selection butts of needles of the other group to cause these needles to knit at said other station.

The machine is preferably of the double (or superimposed) cylinder type with patterning mechanism associated with the upper or rib cylinder, enabling linkslinks patterns to be made. It has two feeding stations which are circumferentially-opposed or substantially circumferentially-opposed and each of which is equipped with two opposed stitch cams allowing double feed or single feed knitting in one direction of rotation of the needle cylinders and also single feed knitting at both feeding stations simultaneously in both directions of swing when knitting by reciprocation.

The feeding stations are positioned with respect to one another so as to enable two pouches to be knitted simultaneously. These pouches subsequently provide the extra material in the body of the tubular blank which allows the arm portions, upon cutting the blank, to automatically assume their correct position with respect to the body portion.

It will be appreciated that if the two groups of needles extend over opposed and consecutive arcs of the needle circle, the pouches will be positioned opposite or approximately opposite each other.

Whilst the sliders of the upper cylinder function in normal fashion during rotation and reciprocatory knitting,

the sliders of the bottom cylinder must be capable of selecting movements in excess of which is regarded as normal in double cylinder machines. The reason for this is because two pouches are required to be knitted simultaneously. The slider and cam arrangement to achieve this will now be explained.

The sliders of the bottom cylinder are arranged in two groups, each group approximating to one half of the circle of needles. Every slider has a butt positioned adjacent its bottom end and each slider of one group has a second butt disposed at a distance above the bottom butt whilst each slider of the other group has a second butt disposed at roughly half the said distance above the bottom butt. Thus there are three different positions for butts on the bottom cylinder sliders.

Each needle draws its stitch by its slider first contacting a feed cam with its upper butt, which cam diverts the slider so that its lower butt is led onto a stitch earn. By having the feed cams at both feeding stations at different levels the sliders of one group can when required be made to knit at one only of the feeding stations whilst the other group knits only at the other station, by virtue of the different levels of upper butts of each group. This method of knitting on one group of needles at one feed station and the other group at the other station applies in both directions of swing of the needle cylinders to enable simultaneous knitting of the pouches and when resuming rotary knitting it is only necessary to insert a bolt cam at each feeding station to cause all the bottom cylinder needles to knit at both stations.

This machine will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, are developed views showing the cams, sliders, and needles, and the tracks which the butts of the slider follow.

FIG. 4 shows how the sliders are grouped around the top and bottom cylinders.

FIG. 5 shows a control drum, and

FIG. 6 is a development of this drum.

The directions in which the needles and other instruments travel in relation to the cam boxes is shown by arrows K in FIGS. 1-3.

As is customary in superimposed needle cylinder machines (such as those sold under the registered trademark Komet) the machine is equipped with doubleended needles N capable of transfer between the two cylinders to draw rib loops while in the top cylinder and plain loops while in the bottom cylinder. Their movements are effected by sliders, of which those in the top cylinder are shown at 6 and those in the bottom cylinder at 1 and 2. The needle cylinders themselves are not shown, being conventional, but the cams in the top and bottom cam boxes are shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The machine is provided with sinkers, not shown but well understood in the art:-as for example in US. Pats. Nos. 1,870,550 and 1,986,317.

The sliders in the bottom cylinder are sub-divided into two groups bracketed at A and B in FIG. 4, and each occupying approximately half the needle circle. These two groups are differentiated by the position of their knitting butts, the sliders of group A having knitting selection butts 20 at an upper level and sliders of group B ha'ving knitting selection butts 10 at a lower, intermediate, level. All the bottom sliders have transfer butts at a still lower level, those of slider 2 being indicated at 2b and those of sliders 1 at 111. Butts 2b are alternate long and medium butts, while all butts 1b are short. Additionally, each slider 2 of group A has a short tail 2a and each second slider 1 of group B has a short tail 1a, while each intervening slider 1 of group B has a long tail 1d.

There are two circumferentially-spaced knitting and feeding positions or stations, designated X and Y, means being provided at each position for diverting needles to and returning them from loop-holding inactivity in the production of pouches; interchangeable yarn feeders are also provided at each position.

The cams in the bottom cam box define three chief tracks; viz. an upper track for the selection butts 2c, a second and lower track for the butts 1c and a third and still lower track for the operating butts 1b, 2b.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 the group of sliders B, associated with the bottom cam box, having knitting selection butts 1c, are in a track where these butts will engage control cams 20 and 13 and thereby lead the bottom butts lb onto stitch cams 36 and 14 where their needles draw stitches. The other group of sliders A, having knitting selection butts 2c are in a different track where these butts will engage control cams 21 and 12 which lead their butts 2b onto stitch cams 36 and 14 where their needles also draw stitches. In brief therefore although each group is selected to knit by cams (20 and 13, or 21 and 12) appropriate to that group, both groups complete their stitch drawing movement down a common cam (36 or 14) at each feed. This system of knitting enables, when knitting by reciprocation, one group to knit at one only of the two feeds in both directions of swing, and the other group to knit at the other feed only in both directions, simply by withdrawing cams 12 and 20.

There is nothing unusual about the top cam box, the disposition of the butts for normal double feed knitting can clearly be seen in FIG. 1. Suitable patterning mechanism (which is not shown, bot may be of conventional form) is provided in association with the upper cylinder and cam box to enable links-links patterns to be made.

In order to obtain a better understanding of the machine as a whole, the various mechanical functions will now be described in order that they take place when making a typical garment blank, commencing with the welt and waistband.

At the finish of the previous article it will be necessary to change to single feed knitting and so cams 12, 13, and 18 and the feeder (not shown) at station X are removed from action. Also if the needles are not in a 1/ 1 rib setout it will be necessary to effect an appropriate transfer to enable a draw thread to be inserted. This transfer may be obtained in two ways depending on the needle set-out at the finish of the previous article. These two ways will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4.

To transfer needles up to the top cylinder use is made of transfer butts 1b and 2b and long tails 1d. The cams involved are shown at 3, 4 and 5 in FIG. 1.

Should all the needles be in the bottom cylinder, alternate needles may be transferred up in the following manner. Bolt cam 3 is inserted (whilst those sliders of group B that have short butts 1b are passing up cam 37) just sufficiently to engage those sliders 2 having long transfer butts 2b, that is alternate sliders of group A shown in FIG. 4. In the same revolution cam 5 is inserted fully to engage the bottoms of long tails 1d of sliders 1 which are the alternate sliders of group B in FIG. 4. (The needle cylinder is recessed to allow the the bolt cam 5 to be inserted below the surface of the cylinder to act upon the tails 1d.)

Also at the same time cam 4 is fully inserted so that all alternate sliders lifted initially by cams 3 and S will continue up cam 4 to transfer their needles to the top cylinder. The empty sliders are retracted by carns 10 and 11. During this transfer action the sliders 6 of the top cylinder are in a position to receive needles, their butts 6c being disposed as shown in FIG. 1.

Should, however, at the completion of the previous article, some needles N be in the top cylinder and some in the bottom, then in order to re-distribute them in a 1/1 rib set-out it is necessary to insert bolt cams 3 and 4 fully to engage all transfer butts 1b and 2b thus transferring all bottom cylinder needles up to the top cylinder from whence all alternate needles are immediately rese lected for returning to the bottom cylinder in the follow ing manner.

The top cylinder sliders 6 are all equipped with a trans fer butt 6b and a knitting butt 6c. They are grouped as shown in FIG. 4. That is to say sliders 6 of group A have long butts 6b and short butts 6c. In addition to these butts every alternate slider has a saw-tooth butt 6e and every third and fourth slider has a saw-tooth butt 6d. Two slide cams 7 and 8 are provided in the cam box associated with the top cylinder and by inserting the appropirate one of these cams either butts 6e or butts 6d may be engaged. Sliders 6 which are thus engaged are diverted so that their transfer butts 6b are led onto the transfer cam 9 and their needles are transferred to the bottom cylinder in either a 1/1 set-out or a 2/2 set-out depending whether cam 7 or cam 8 is inserted. Therefore in this present case the alternate needles are selected for transferring to the bottom cylinder by inserting slide cam 7.

Having obtained a 1/1 set-out of the needles, the bolt cams 12 and 13 are inserted and a draw-thread is fed to bottom cylinder needles only, the feeder position being shown as X in FIG. 1 and the needles drawing their stitches at cam 14. The top cylinder needles are directed above the draw-thread feeder while the draw-thread is knitted, bolt cam 15 being withdrawn and cams 16 and 35 remaining inserted. While the draw-thread is being knitted at station X for at least one revolution knitting also continues at station Y, bolt cam 20 being in operation. At the completion of the draw-thread, bolt cams 12 and 13 and the draw-thread feeder are withdrawn and knitting continues at station Y only, on needles of both cylinders. To form the welt, cam 16 is partly withdrawn as the long knitting butts 6c of the sliders 6 of group B are passing down it and completely withdrawn as the short butts 6c of sliders 6 of group A are to pass in front of it, and as cam 17 has already withdrawn the sliders 6 will remain in the welt track (so that the needles in the top cylinder hold their loops) until the required number of courses have been completed. The position of the other bolt cams in the top cam box is immaterial. Of the cams in the bot tom cam box, cams 12 and 13 are withdrawn so that the needles in the bottom cylinder do not knit at station X. Cams 3, 5, 38 and 39 are also withdrawn, and cams 20 and 27 are inserted so that the needles knit at station Y. The positions of the other bolt cams in the bottom box is immaterial.

At the completion of the welt a waistband is knitted with the 1 X 1 set-out, or any other desirable rib set-out, of the needles.

To knit this band, in the top cam box the transfer cam 9 is withdrawn and cams 16 and 35 are inserted so that the needles in the top cylinder can knit at station Y. in the bottom cam box, cams 3 5, 38 and 39 remain withdrawn, and cams 20 and 27 remain inserted so that the needles in the bottom cylinder can knit at station Y. If it is required to knit also at station X so that two courses are produced at each revolution, cams 15 and 18 are inserted in to the top cam box and earns 12 and 13 in the bottom cam box. The positions of the other bolt cams in the two boxes is immaterial.

Continuing from the waistband into the body of the garment, a redistribution of needles and, or, introduction of links-links patterning (by links-links patterning mechanism) can provide many different fabric effects such as ribbed, plain or links-links with or without float.

A half cardigan structure can be obtained by continuing with the 1/ l needle set-out and inserting cams 38 and 39 so that all bottom cylinder sliders 1, 2 are directed to tucking their butts 1c and 2c being lowered by cams 38 and 39 respectively. Thus their bottom butts 1b and 2b will be led below cam 25, past cam 24 which is withdrawn, and up cam 43. This will cause alternate needles (i.e. all bottom needles) to receive another loop of yarn at feeding station X without having cleared the previous loop received at station Y. Half cardigan structure with tucking of the rib stitches may be obtained by removing cam 16 in the top cam box so that all top cylinder needles, having 6 received yarn in their hooks at station X are allowed to remain in the welt track and are brought to tucking height by first being lowered by cam 17 and then raised by cam 40 so that their needles will add a second yarn in the hooks at station Y. Full cardigan can be knitted by operating the two systems just described at the same time.

For making float stitch fabric on a rib basis during ro tation, earns 27, 24 and 43, are retracted so that the bottom cylinder needles, after taking yarn at station Y and descending stitch cam 36, do not clear immediately at cams 27 and 25 but their operating butts 1b, 2b, continue along a low loop-holding track, or diversion track, beneath cams 25, 14R and 14 (so that the needles do not take yarn at station X) until lifted by cam 37 so that the needles clear. For float patterning needles are selectively transferred from the top cylinder by links-links patterning mechanism.

When any of the operating butts 2b are diverted into this diversion track, the associated selection butts 2c are diverted from their upper track into the second track which is normally followed by selection butts 1c, and when any of the operating butts 1b are diverted into the diversion track the' associated selection butts 1c are diverted from the second track into the third track which is normally followed by the operating butts 1b, 2b. The tracks, and the three levels of butts, have the space relation which is necessary to achieve this result.

During the knitting of the body fabric, the bolt cam positions already described for knitting the waistband are retained, unless patterning is required.

After sufficient length of fabric for the body portion has been knitted all the needles needed for knitting the two pouches are required to be in the bottom cylinder. Therefore, should some be in the top cylinder, they can be transferred down by inserting cams 9 and 19, cams 7 and 8 remaining withdrawn and cams 18 and 35 being withdrawn. Cam 19 acts upon the knitting butts 6c to divert sliders 6 so that their transfer butts 6b encounter and ride down cam 9 to transfer their needles to the bottom cylinder; cam 19 is withdrawn when the transfer operation has been completed. The positions of the other bolt cams on the top box are immaterial.

As mentioned earlier the knitting of the two pouches takes place simultaneously, with all the needles in the bottom cylinder. This will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

This reciprocatory knitting, in which one group of needles knits a pouch at station X and the other group knits a pouch at station Y, requires cams 3, 5, 38 and 39, to remain withdrawn; cams 4, 11, 12, and 20 to be withdrawn; cams 13 and 27 to remain inserted; and cam 24 to be inserted. The position of the other bolt cams in the bottom box is immaterial.

The bolt cams 12 and 20 may be withdrawn on the last course of rotary knitting before the cylinders reverse direction, when the slider butts have reached positions as shown in FIG. 1, because at this moment no butts are contacting them. Withdrawal of these cams will permit the needles of the bottom cylinder sliders to knit in a direction in reverse of normal as shown in FIG. 2 hereinafter termed reverse swing. FIG. 3 shows the tracks of the slider butts when knitting a pouch on the swing in the normal direction of knitting, hereinafter termed normal swing.

Although cams 12 and 20 are withdrawn the feeders remain in action at both feeding stations, the yarn fed at station X being knitted only by needles of the group of sliders B having knitting selection butts 1c and the yarn fed at station Y being knitted only by needles of the group of sliders A having knitting selection butts 20 (see FIG. 4).

In FIGS. 2 and 3 the paths followed by the butts 1b, 1c, of sliders 1 of group B are indicated by the dotted lines 22 and those of butts 2b, 2c of sliders 2 of group A by the chain dotted lines 23. FIG. 2 shows how the sliders 1 are selected by contact of their butts 1c with cam 13 which leads their transfer butts 11; onto cam 14R so that their needles knit at station X. These sliders are then raised by cams 24 and 25 and remain at the level of cam 25 so their needles do not knit at station Y. In this same reverse swing of the needle cylinders, the chain-dotted track lines 23 show that sliders 2 are selected by contact of their butts with cam 21 which leads their transfer butts 2b to cam 44 so that their needles knit at station Y. These sliders are then raised by cam 26 and remain at this level so that their needles do not knit at station X.

FIG. 3 shows that a swing of the needle cylinders in the normal knitting direction when knitting a pouch, causes sliders 1 to be selected to knit at station X by contact of their butts 10 with cam 13 and subsequent contact of their bottom butts 1b with cam 14. Thereafter they are raised by cam 37 and will continue at this level through station Y where their needles do not knit. In the same swing sliders 2 are selected by their butts 2c contacting cam 21 to lead their bottom butts 2b onto cam 36 so that their needles knit at station Y. Sliders 2 are then raised by cam 27 onto cam and continue at this level through station X where their needles do not knit.

To sum up the operations just described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, during knitting of the two pouches by reciprocation the sliders having knitting butts 1c are selected in both directions of swing by cam 13 so their needles (group B) knit one of the pouches at station X. At the same time the sliders having knitting butts 2c are selected in both directions of swing by cam 21 so their needles (group A) knit the other pouch at station Y.

Narrowing and widening of the pouches is carried out with conventional pickers but in this case two narrowing pickers and one widening picker are required for each pouch.

The narrowing pickers lift the needles from knitting activity to loop-holding inactivity, and the widening pickers lower them from loop-holding inactivity to knitting activity. They are of conventonal kind, needing no illustration beyond that provided in the accompanying drawings, but it is pointed out that the pickers associated with the respective stations are disposed at different levels appropriate to the differing levels of the selection butts 1c, and 2c.

The narrowing pickers associated with the feeding station X for operating on butts 1c are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 at 28 and 29 and the widening picker at 30.

The narrowing pickers associated with feeding station Y for operating on butts 2c are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 at 31 and 32 and the widening picker at 33.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 the widening pickers 30 and 33 are shown raised out of action; they must be lowered slightly when required to be engaged by the butts.

When narrowing, pickers 28 and 29 lift sliders 1 one at a time on each swing of the needles cylinders to an inactive loop-holding track indicated by arrow NX in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus the number of needles of group B that are active at position X is gradually reduced, working inwards from the opposite ends of the group B until only a few needles of this group are active, the remainder occupying the high inactive track NX wherein they their last-knitted loops. At the same time narrowing pickers 31 and 32 lift sliders 2 one at a time to an inactive track indicated by arrow NY, so that the active needles of group A (at position Y) is progressively reduced in a manner similar to that just described with reference to group B.

When widening, picker 30 lowers sliders of group B, two at a time on each swing of the needle cylinders, back to their active track as indicated by arrow WX in FIGS. 2 and 3. At the same time widening picker 33 lowers sliders 2 of group A, two at a time, back to their active track indicated by arrow WY. Thus although sliders are still being picked up at the rate of one slider of each group of butts 1c and 20 for each swing of the cylinders, be-

cause the lowering pickers act on two sliders at a time the widening is achieved at the rate of one needle brought into activity for each pouch at every swing.

While the pouches are being knitted the upper cylinder sliders 6 are allowed to remain at an inactive level as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 by the track lines 34 of their butts 6b and 6c, because cams 18, 19 and 35 have been withdrawn.

Thus two opposed pouches are knitted substantially in the manner customary in the production of heel or toe pouches, these pouches being distinguished by suture lines which, in the foregoing example, extend diagonally of the courses and wales.

A suitable pouch-engaging device may be provided to be lowered down the interior of the fabric to apply an equal draw-off tension to the fabric of the full circle of needles brought back into knitting activity after pouch production (at which time the nomal draw-off or take-down mechanism, commonly provided in circular knitting machines for drawing the fabric from the needles, is ineffective).

For narrowing and widening without the use of pickers, but by using patterning mechanism or needle selecting mechanism, the operating butts 1b, 2b can be diverted to the low loop-holding track (or diversion track) hereinbefore mentioned and the needles can be selected up into knitting activity by the patterning mechanism. This necessitates continuing this track past cams 37 and 26.

When knitting of the pouches has been completed, the needle cylinders cease reciprocating and continue once more to rotate in the normal knitting direction for the production of sleeve fabric, desirably by knitting on both groups of needles and at both stations, the pickers being placed out of action. If, at the completion of the pouches, any needles remain in the high, loop-holding, position they are brought down into knitting activity by inserting caym 11 in the bottom cam box to act on the slider butts 1 2b.

In the top cam box, cam 19 remains inoperative and earns 15 and 16 remain inserted. Cam 35 is inserted for single-feed knitting, while if knitting is to be effected at both stations cam 18 is inserted also.

In the bottom cam box, cam 27 remains inserted; cams 3, 5, 38 and 39 remain withdrawn, cam 24 is withdrawn. For single-feed knitting at station Y, cam 12 remains withdrawn, cam 13 is withdrawn, cams 11 and 20 are inserted and the feeder at station X is withdrawn. If knitting is to be effected at both stations, both cams 12 and 13 and the feeder at station X remain operative.

Suitable transfer of needles may be made to the top cylinder in similar manner to that described earlier so that the knitted structure of the fabric of the sleeves may match that of the body. When sufficient sleeve fabric has been knitted a further transfer of needles may be made to form a tubular cuff portion of any desired rib formation at the end of which, if the needles are not in a 1/1 disposition, a further transfer will be necessary for the knitting of a draw thread at the commencement of the next blank. Roving courses may be inserted after the cuffs, knitting on a 1/1 or 2/2 rib basis. Assuming a 2/2 basis, the feeder at station X is withdrawn, and earns 12, 13, and 18, are also withdrawn, so that the roving courses are knitted at station Y. Thereafter a transfer to a 1/1 basis is made for the draw thread. The cuffs may be finished off by linking or seaming.

In the machine described, the movable earns, the feeders and the pickers, are controlled by well understood conventional means needing no description or illustration herein. The links-links patterning mechanism is conventional and the change-over from rotary to reciprocating knitting, and vice versa, is likewise effected by wellunderstood conventional means.

Specifically the exchange of yarn feeders at station Y are effected by a pattern chain, and the insertion and withdrawal of the various bolt cams and the exchange of yarn feeders at station X are effected in known manner by a pack of individually racked cams, which are normally stationary but the racking (or step-by-step movements) of which is produced by racking mechanism itself timed, to operate at the appropriate phases, by a control drum. Such a control drum is shown at 45 in FIG. 5. This has a series of circumferential cam tracks (a development of which is shown in FIG. 6) and the cam tracks operate a battery of feelers 46 (one feeler at each track) for controlling the various mechanical functions of the machine and the racking of the individually-racked cams. In FIG. 6 the successive operative zones of the periphery of drum 45 are indicated at a to i and the cam tracks at T1 to T27. The key to the cams in these tracks (for the knitting of a typical garment blank) is as follows:

Track No.: Cams operate T1 Clutch for rotary motion.

T2 Clutch for reciprocation.

T3 Plain quality, or stitch length, control in waist and cuff.

T4 Plain quality in pouches.

T5 Plain quality in body and sleeves.

T6 Rib quality in waist and cuff.

T7 Rib quality in body and sleeves.

T8 Pouch-tensioning device.

T9 Movable verge of top cylinder.

T10 Rib feed bolt cam 35 T11 Plain feed bolt cam 20.

T12 Cam 24 and narrowing picker 29.

T13 Transfer selector cam 5.

T14 Transfer selector cam 3.

T15 Transfer cam 4.

T16 Needle-lowering cam 11.

T17 Rib clearing cam 15.

T18 Rib clearing cam 16.

T19 Rib tucking cam 17.

T20 Transfer selector slide cam 7 for l x 1 rib.

T21 Transfer selector slide cam 8 for 2 x 2 rib.

T22 Widening pickers 30, 33.

T23 Transfer cam 9.

T24 Transfer selector cam 19.

T25 Control cams 12, 13, 18, 38, 39, 43.

T26. Feeder selection at station X.

T27 Upthrow cam 27.

The functions that the various zones of the drum controls are as follows:

Zone Function a Transfer to 1/1 rib. Draw thread introduced.

[1 Welt.

c Transfer to 2/2 rib. Feeder introduced at station X for waist band.

d Transfer to 1/ l rib for half-cardigan body.

e Transfer to plain fa bric. Change to reciprocation and narrow pouches.

f Widen pouches.

g Change to rotation, and transfer to l/ 1 rib, for half-cardigan sleeves.

h Transfer to 2/ 2 rib for cuffs.

i Withdraw feeder at station X; roving courses.

In order to prevent the yarn, fed at the two stations during reciprocatory knitting for the pouches, from being taken by those sinkers which are adjacent to the inactive loop-holding needles, means may be provided for masking these sinkers. For such masking means, reference may be made to US. Pats. Nos. 1,870,550 and 1,986,317.

If desired, the machine may be provided with an additional knitting station, with apprOpriate cams thereat,

so that during rotary knitting both groups of needles knit at this additional station and three courses are knitted at each revolution but during reciprocatory knitting neither group knits at this station. Furthermore, if desired, the machine may have more than two circumferentially spaced knitting and feeding stations, in which case the machine may have as many groups of needles as there are stations, and a pouch-producing mechanism at each station. Thus, for example the machine may have four such stations, being organised to knit at one or more, or all four, of the stations during rotation and, during reciprocation, to knit four pouches one at each station.

Although in the machine described the body-forming fabric is knitted before the sleeve-forming fabric, matters may be so arranged that the sleeve-forming fabric is knitted before the body-forming fabric.

What we claim is:

1. In an independent needle circular knitting machine having a plurality of circumferentially spaced feeding and knitting stations:

(at) a circular series of needles comprising two circumferential groups disposed over different but substantially consecutive arcs of the needle circle, one group having selection butts at one level and the other group having selection butts at a different level, and the needles of both groups being provided with operating butts disposed at a third level,

(b) needle manipulating means at each of two successive stations comprising knitting cams at one station for acting on the operating butts of one needle group during rotation and reciprocation and knitting cams at the other station for acting on the operating butts of the other needle group during rotation and reciprocation, and further comprising control cams for acting on the selection butts of needles of both groups during rotation to cause the operating butts of said needles to be acted on by the knitting cams at both stations during rotational knitting, and to cause one group to knit at one of the two stations and the other group to knit at the other of said stations during reciprocatory knitting, and

(c) pouch producing mechanism operable during reciprocatory knitting for causing the two needle groups simultaneously to knit two sutured pouches, one group knitting a pouch at one station and the other group simultaneously knitting another pouch at the other station.

2. A machine according to claim 1, being of the opposed needle cylinder type having double-ended needles and sliders for moving the needles in knitting and for transferring them between the two cylinders.

3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the control cams include cams movable between operative positions for circular knitting and inoperative positions for reciprocatory knitting, there being a movable cam for one of said two stations, for acting, when operative, on the selection butts of needles of one group to cause said needles to knit at that station, and a movable cam for the other station for acting, when operative, on the selection butts of needles of the other group to cause these needles to knit at said other station.

4. A machine according to claim 3, having, at each of the two said stations, two control cams, disposed at different levels appropriate to the different levels of the selection butts of the two groups, for thereby operating on the selection butts of the two groups during rotational knitting, and having the upper control cam at one said station and the lower control cam at the other station movable to inoperative position for reciprocatory knitting, and further having the lower control cam at said one station and the upper control cam at the other station operable on the selection butts of the respective groups during reciprocatory knitting whereby one group knits a pouch at one station and the other group knits a pouch at the other station.

5. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the pouchproducing mechanism comprises pickers associated with one of said two stations for acting on the selection butts of one group and other pickers associated with the other said station for acting on the selection butts of the other group, the pickers associated with the respective stations being disposed at different levels appropriate to the differing levels of the section butts.

6. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the contral cams also include tucking cams associated with one station for operating on the selection butts to cause needles to tuck.

7. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the cams define an upper track for the selection butts of one group, a second and lower track for the selection butts of the other group, a third and still lower track for the operating butts of both groups, and a lower diversion track for said operating butts, and said cams comprise cams for diverting said operating butts, from the third track into the diversion track, the tracks and butts being so spaced that when the operating butts of one group are diverted to the diversion track the associated selection butts are diverted from the upper track to the second track and when the operating butts of the other group are diverted to the diversion track the associated selection butts are diverted to the third track.

1 2 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,949,439 3/1934 Wilcomb 66189UX 2,400,805 5/1946 Booton et al 6648 2,939,302 6/1960 Letzerich 6643 3,006,169 10/1961 Strunk 6648 3,142,975 8/1964 Fregeolle 6648 3,283,545 10/1966 Simon 66189X 1,401,712 12/1921 Lawson 6645 1,536,863 5/1925 Jones 6645 1,843,641 2/1932 Jones 6651 2,740,277 4/1956 Lombardi 6651X 3,287,937 11/1966 Landau 66176X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,404,024 5/1965 France 6648 329,096 5/1930 Great Britain 6652 820,869 9/1959 Great Britain 66--176 WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 6639, 48 

